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About the project

House (two bedroom) built on an urban infill site in a Conservation Area near London Fields. It is the in Hackney and first Passivhaus using CLT and wood fibre in the UK.

The architectural approach was both to respond to the specific context of the site, and try to give the new house some of the generic simplicity, light and character found in industrial or studio spaces.

The house footprint is deliberately limited in order to keep a generous garden at the rear. It is set half a level down from street level, the building has a large open plan 'Upper Ground floor' to take advantage of the western light and distant views across urban gardens.

Made of simple construction, the way the house is assembled remains directly visible:

the lower level (ground retaining structure) is built as a reinforced concrete shell, and left exposed

prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber is used for internal walls, floors and the upper level structure

The approach in terms of sustainability was to use natural materials (timber/wood fibre), breathable construction, but most importantly, to have a recognised and measurable standard for energy performance.